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Reducing the burden of OSA and diabetes in men by dual assessment

Dr Sarah Appleton, FFCMH Research Fellow, and colleagues are soon to published their research in the Journal of Sleep Medicine that provides clear evidence of a link between untreated obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in men and the development of Type-2 Diabetes. In their study, 736 men free of diabetes underwent home sleep studies and their health of these men were tracked over time. Men were aged 40 years or older at the time of testing and were from the Men Androgen Inflammation Lifestyle Environment and Stress (MAILES) Study.

Of 736 men free of diabetes at baseline testing, those with OSA were 2.6 times more likely to develop of diabetes in a period of approximately 5 years, than those without OSA. This was after adjusting for other risk factors such as age, % total body fat, and weight gain (> 5 cm waist circumference).

Respiratory Specialist, Prof Robert Adams and Sleep Specialists from the Adelaide Institute of Sleep Health at the Repatriation General Hospital, Prof Doug McEvoy and A/Prof Nick Antic concluded that these results highlight the importance of dual assessment to identify undetected OSA or Diabetes. Patients presenting with one disorder should be assessed for the other to permit early treatment to reduce the considerable burden and cardiac risks of these chronic conditions.